...to ask if this word is only used but some bigoted old fart?

My son has been receiving quite a lot of hassle at school which has been dealt with but is not receiving nasty text messages from a 'pay as you go sim'.... Not traceable etc. This has all been dealt with, my question.......child in question and text messages both call my son 'faggot', now I have only heard this used by bigoted old farts in the early 80's! Is it so rare now that it is likely to be the same person, or has this hideous name become commonly used again? ( obviously only within school child mentality/bigoted old farts). Not doing anything with this, just curious if dinosaurs do exist?!

As part of my work I have the misfortune to go through various written communication exhibited in criminal cases and written by some very nasty people.

Now that you've pointed it out yes, it is unusual for teens. Not unheard of but not what I'd expect to see. I think you may be right that it is the same person although once a phrase 'catches on' in a school lots of children tend to copy.

I'm sorry your son is having such a hard time. I assume the police are involved?

I find it very insulting and cannot believe it is something teens are using but as you say the novelty of a 'new' word may appeal 😳. In my mind it is a horrible word stuck in the 70's (and good riddance!). The police are involved (also graphic pictures) but do not trace payg sims - difficult and need court permission (only used for missing minors apparently).

It is one of those words that will always be around. But modern usage is not nessecarily a homophobic slur. In the past it has also be used for old people etc. It's a word that while technically an innocent word (faggot = bundle of sticks) has been used as an insult for various groups over the decades.

South Park has a rather interesting episode on the subject actually.

Of course that does not excuse it's use in any way. Although it is only through continued use that its connotations as a homophobic slur can be removed and it can move on to its next incarnation... still not condoning it though.

It was used very much as a homophobic insult with accompanying pictures and suggestions aside from the nastiness I was just amazed it was still used as an insult. Sadly most of the phobias and bigotry is learnt from 'role models'. I guess I will never know but sort of reassuring that it could be random rather than sinister stalking behaviour!

I also think it's a very unusual (not even sure if old fashioned, just not common) insult which means little in the UK but is a common insult in the US. I wonder if a person of any age would pick it up from thereI'm sorry to hear about your sons problems, how very stressful

A lot of hip hop acts used it (Lord Jamar, who's also an actor, recorded a diss track calling Kanye West a fag and a faggot, for example). A few nu-metal bands used the term, but usually in the context of saying how they themselves are called faggots by abusive people.

I was a bit gobsmacked watching Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey the other week - the term fag was used a couple of times!

Bertrand Of course it's a homophobic insult which is presumably why my children would never use it. My point, although obviously rather clumsily made, judging by your inverted commas, was that it seems to be one of those words like nigger. Totally unacceptable and rightly so unless it's used by black people. The word faggot is equally totally unacceptable unless used by gay males as I presume they cannot be homophobic or can they?